A Wonderful Life
by nootylicious
Summary: A story about a city boy who moves to the country for a better life.
1. Chapter 1 - A Wonderful Life

Jack locked the door of his apartment for the last time. He wanted to say he'd developed fond memories of the place, but the truth was, he hadn't, really. It was just a place he'd lived, and worked. He headed down a flight of stairs to his landlady's apartment to hand over his keys. He had never developed much of a relationship with her, either. Would she even notice he was gone? He thanked her for everything, and exited her apartment. Then, slinging his rucksack over his shoulder, he left the building. That was it. That was the end of his city life.

It had all started about a week ago. Jack checked his mailbox one rainy morning, as usual. He flipped through the letters monotonously, as he did every morning. Bills, bills, a coupon for a bar, bills. Then, something caught his attention. A heavy envelope, with his address scrawled on the back in heavy, untidy handwriting. He headed inside, and set the other letters down on the table. Sitting down by the window, Jack opened the envelope. The paper was thick and coarse, not like the smooth paper used by city folk. The letter itself was also written in the same thick handwriting as on the envelope. He began to read.

_"To Mr. Jack,_

_I'm writing to tell you about the farm your father left you in his will. I've been looking after it up to now, but the farm is left to you._

_If you want to talk more about it, come out and see me in Forget-Me-Not-Valley._

_Takakura"_

Although the letter was short and rather awkwardly composed, it stirred something in Jack. His father used to bring him on visits to the farm when he was little, but he didn't remember anything about it. He was very young, after all. He'd probably played with the animals as children do. He never remembered being particularily interested in the farm. But now, the thought of a farm interested Jack, at least somewhat. A farm meant leaving the city and his deadend job. A farm meant a new life. A wonderful life. The more Jack thought about it, the more excited he became. Within the hour, he had called up his boss to tell him he quit his job, and was making preparations for his trip out to Forget-Me-Not-Valley.

Jack had changed into clothes that he hoped seemed more "farmer-ish". Of course, this inspired some strange looks from his well-dressed fellow train passengers, but as the train left the city, more and more of them got off, until Jack was sitting alone in the carriage. He took in the scenery as it slowly changed from urban to rural. The last time he had seen the countryside was when his father was alive. That could have been any time before six months ago, but it felt like forever. When the train finally stopped at a remote platform, he saw that there was nobody there. He sat down by the elevated platform and waited. After about forty-five minutes, he realized that this Takakura probably wasn't going to show up, so he hitched a ride from a passing tractor driven by a large, imposing woman. She made casual conversation on the way.

"So, kid, where are ya headed?" she asked cheerfully over her shoulder.

"Uh, Forget-Me-Not-Valley." Jack quietly replied.

"No kidding!" shouted the woman, turning around to punch him on the shoulder and causing the tractor to momentarily veer off the mountain path. Her punch felt as though a bus had just been driven into Jack's arm. "Kid, I'm from there!" she yelled at him as she struggled to regain control of the tractor.

"Oh!" Jack said, rubbing his arm. He had no idea what to say to her. Be best to make polite conversation. "Um... What is it like there?" he asked.

"Ah, kid. It's a really, really nice place. You'll love it there. It's really clean, the folks are nice and crops grow really well." she replied, sighing happily.

"Do you grow crops?" he asked her.

"Well, yeah! I run a little farm down by the river with my brother and a great girl called Celia." She looked over at him with an eyebrow raised and a wide smile. "Maybe I should introduce ya to Celia. I get the feeling you two'd hit it off!" She then erupted into loud laughter.

Jack laughed weakly. Takakura had mentioned that the farm was by a river, and it was so long since Jack had been there that he had forgotten where the farm was or what it looked like. Maybe this lady had taken over the farm, and he was to simply help co-run it? But wouldn't Takakura have told him about that? As he thought about it, he noticed the tractor had reached the top of the mountain. A tanned, lean old man with incredible eyebrows stood by the side of the road.

"Ah, there's Takakura!" called the lady cheerfully, waving at him as the passed.

"Wait, did you say Takakura?" he asked. "Um, sorry, I have to get off here!"

"Ya sure, kid?" the lady asked Jack as he hopped off the tractor. He nodded at her.

"Thanks so much for the ride."

"Hey, no problem. Maybe I'll see you around the valley!" she laughed heartily. Jack waved at her as her tractor trundled down off the mountain. Takakura jogged over to him.

"Mr. Jack?" Takakura asked. Jack nodded, and the two men shook hands. "I just want to let ya know how grateful I am that yer takin' over the farm and all. Your father loved that farm," the old man said gruffly, "and I'm glad that one of his sons will be takin' over it. I'm very sorry for your loss."

Jack just smiled and nodded. At this point in his life, he was used to the pitying looks from people once they found out he was an orphan with no family. He didn't mind, though. He'd been dealing with them his whole life.

"Let me show ya round the valley." Takakura offered.

"Sure thing." Jack replied, and they started walking down the mountain.


	2. Chapter 2 - From Small Beginnings

After about three minutes of walking in silence, Takakura and Jack arrived at the bottom of the mountain. Takakura stopped.

"Here's the valley," he said gruffly.

Jack had to admit, it was a very nice-looking place. Cherry blossom trees were scattered about in full bloom, and the air was very clean. Flowers and grass that grew by the dirt track looked lush and healthy. He could see why his father had chosen to set up a farm in Forget-Me-Not-Valley. It was a completely different world from the city, which he supposed was to be expected, but it was still a bit of a shock to his system.

"Do you like it?" asked Takakura after a while. Jack realized he had been staring. He quickly nodded, blushing somewhat. A tiny, almost unrecognizable smile appeared on the old man's face. "Good."

The two started walking again. They approached two small, wooden houses standing on the right side of the road. A large field expanded behind the houses with newly sown seeds sitting on the soil. Jack saw a familiar tractor parked by the field.

"That's Vesta's house," explained Takakura. "She runs the other farm in town with Marlin and Celia. She sells seeds for yer farm, too."

Jack nodded. So he wouldn't be running the farm with the lady.

They continiued on in silence for a while. Then, Takakura spoke up.

"Your dad and I shared the same dream, ya know."

"Hm?" said Jack, but the old man fell into silence.

They crossed a bridge over a river. Jack could see another field between the trees on this side of the bank. That was probably the farm. A few seconds later, they stood before the pasture.

"Your father probably never told you, but me n' him founded this land together," Takakura said quietly.

"Oh." Jack felt bad, but in all of the visits to the farm his father had taken him on, he never once remembered meeting Takakura, and his father had surely never told him about him. He'd probably just assumed that Jack would have remembered him.

"It has old, but strong, buildings and some fallow fields. So..." Here, he paused and laughed sheepishly. "So, I think it's yer destiny to take on this farm."

Destiny, huh? Jack thought to himself.

Takakura looked a bit alarmed at Jack's expression. "Course, I'll be here to help ya out. Anything ya need, just say the word. I just want to see this farm like it was when yer father was still alive." He looked at him. "So, Mr. Jack. Do ya want the farm?" Although he maintained his usual stony expression, it wasn't hard to see how earnest he was.

Jack smiled. "Just Jack will do," he said, taking Takakura's hand. The two men shook hands, and Takakura smiled his odd little smile again.

"I'm honoured to be workin' with ya, Jack."

Jack finished milking his new cow, who he had named Bess. Takakura had shown him around the farm, and then headed home. It turned out that Jack wasn't to inherit the whole farm, but to co-run it with Takakura. Takakura would take care of shipping, while Jack would do the manual work, earning him the larger profit. He straightened up and gave Bess a pat. She mooed happily.

Looking up, he saw that the sun was already high in the sky. Takakura had mentioned that Vesta sold seeds, so he decided to head over there to buy some.

However, once he arrived at the shacks, Jack realized he had no idea which house was the shop and which was Vesta's house, or if Vesta was even home. He decided to guess randomly, and entered the second one.

Jack cracked the door open. It was a small house, with two beds, a table, and a kitchen unit. A girl who looked a few years younger than him stood cooking in the kitchen. She looked mildly surprised at his intrusion.

"U-um, hello!" she laughed meekly.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Jack apologized. "I thought this was Vesta's house..."

"Oh, no! You're fine, this is Vesta's house! Just... not Vesta's shop."

They both laughed sheepishly.

"Um, the shop is the shed just next door," the girl told him.

"Okay. Thank you. I'm sorry for barging in," Jack apologized, stepping back out the door.

"Oh, no, it's no trouble," she laughed. "Um, by the way..."

Jack halted. "Yes?"

"Would you happen to be the new farmer in town? I'm sorry if I seem rude, but not many people just pass through Forget-Me-Not Valley and come to our little shop."

"Yup, that's me," he replied, mildly embarassed. It appeared that his arrival was anticipated in town.

"Oh, wonderful!" she said, clapping her hands together. "I'm sorry, it's just that there isn't really anybody in the valley to buy our seeds, other than ourselves, and... well, it'll just be nice to have somebody come by the shop."

"Ah. Well, I'll be by here a lot, so you don't need to worry," Jack told her, smiling his widest smile. Actually, he probably looked a bit alarming. Better tone it down a bit. "Oh yeah, I'm Jack, by the way."

The girl smiled back at him. "Celia. Pleased to meet you, Jack."

Jack thought about Celia on his way home. She'd seemed very kind and gentle. He could see why Vesta seemed to show her off so much. Her husband was very lucky, whoever he was.

He spent the rest of the day sowing and watering the seeds he had just purchased. At around 8 o' clock, muscles aching, he'd finally finished. He remembered Takakura telling him something about a bar, but he was far too exhausted to look into it. He headed inside.

It had been a very long day. But it marked Jack's first day as a farmer. Just yesterday, he was in the city, about to leave the dead-end job he was stuck in. Today was just the beginning of his new life, filled with all sorts of possibilities. Jack was dreaming about all of the things he could do, but a rumble from his stomach broke through his thoughts. After polishing off some biscuits he'd brought with him in his rucksack, he changed into his pajamas, flopped down onto his new bed, and fell into a dead sleep.

Jack's eyes snapped open. Some dog was barking. Loudly. Jack sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes. A quick look out the window told him it was hours before dawn. But I thought the landlady didn't allow pets? he thought groggily, before realizing that he no longer lived in the apartment block. He swung his legs out of bed and slipped on his boots and jacket. Cautiously grabbing the pitchfork lying by the door, he cracked open the front door.

There was nothing there. The barking continued.

He crept outside. It was still early spring, and freezing out. Jack shivered lightly. He walked around the side of the house. On the other side of the yard, two little dogs were barking at Takakura, who wore an old vest and tattered shorts by way of pajamas. He looked over at Jack.

"Cute, aren't they?" he called.

Jack nodded. "Who's are they?" he called back. The old man shrugged. Jack made his way over to him.

"What should we do?" he asked.

Takakura shrugged again. "They don't seem to have any owners. Why don'tcha keep one?"

Jack was vaguely alarmed. "Um, I'm not great with dogs. Also, we don't know that they don't have an owner."

Takakura ignored him, and continued talking. "We only got one kennel, though. You're gonna have to choose one."

"Takakura, I'm _really _not good with dogs." There was a time when he was around six when he was over at a friend's house. They'd had a dog. It probably wasn't even that big, but to Jack, it was enormous. His friend kept insisting that it was a sweet dog, it wouldn't hurt a fly, it was just a big old softy, and then it bit him. Since then, Jack had always been terrified of dogs.

"Then, ain't this a good chance to get good with dogs?" Takakura asked seriously.

Jack sighed, exasperated. "But we don't even know if they're strays. What if some little girl in town is crying because she's missing her pets?"

"There ain't any little girls living in the Valley."

"You know what I mean."

"Then just hang on to one until we find the owner."

Jack sighed again, frustrated. It looked like Takakura wasn't going to give up. He raised his hands in defeat. "Fine, I'll take one. Fine." Takakura gave a small smile. Jack scowled. "What are you going to do with the other one?"

"Hm." Takakura mused for a moment. "I reckon Cody'd take it off my hands."

Okay. Whoever Cody was.

Jack studied the dogs. They both were light brown, and wore red scarves. Really, the only difference between them were their ears. One's were long and floppy, and the other's were short and pointy. Jack felt more inclined to trust the floppy-eared one. Probably because he just thought it was cuter.

"Can I keep that one?" he asked Takakura, pointing to the floppy-eared one.

"Sure." Takakura yawned. "It's still too early t' get up. I'm heading back to bed. Remember to feed the dog." He picked up the pointy-eared dog and trudged back towards his cabin.

Jack looked down at the remaining dog, which gazed back up at him, wagging its tail.

"Co-come on," he ordered, hoping he sounded firm and alpha-ish. He'd heard somewhere that dogs always respect a dominant person. Something to do with pack order.

Fortunately, the dog gave a little yap and trotted ahead in front of Jack. He pointed to the doghouse.

"Go in to bed," he ordered. The dog scooted into the doghouse and turned around, gazing up at Jack expectantly.

He relaxed. The dog seemed well-trained. It looked like he didn't need to do anything else, so he headed back to the front door. The dog followed him, tail wagging. Jack turned around and frowned at it.

"Hey," he said sternly. "Go back to bed." The dog whined and gazed dolefully up at him. He pointed to the doghouse. The dog padded back to the doghouse and lay down, looking sadly at Jack with its liquid eyes. Jack frowned at it for a couple more seconds, and then headed inside. He took off his jacket and boots, and flopped down on to his bed.

The dog was pretty cute, actually. It couldn't have been more than a puppy, and it was very well-behaved. Maybe he could get used to it, he thought to himself. He smiled and closed his eyes. Maybe dogs weren't so bad.

Jack's mind was changed a few moments later when an ear-splitting howl rang out and echoed around the farm. He stumbled out of bed and staggered to the door, clutching at his ears. He flung the door open. The little dog stood just outside, looking up at him and wagging its tail in earnest. Jack pinched the brow of his nose. He should have chosen the other one.

He stood back, allowing room for the puppy to get through. "Come on," he muttered. "You can sleep in here." It barked happily and bounded past him, leaping up on to his bed.

"Hey, wait! Not on the bed..." Jack said, but trailed off. The pup had already curled up on his pillow, and was fast asleep. He sighed heavily. It didn't respect him as a master at all. So much for well-behaved. He trudged over to his bed, and carefully pushed the pup off of the pillow. Then, he got under the sheets and fell asleep with its body heat radiating through the bed.


	3. Chapter 3 - Blunder After Blunder

Jack woke up early the next morning to a strange wet sensation on his face. He groaned, and batted at whatever was causing the feeling. His hand met soft fur, and he snapped his eyes open. The dog was sitting on his chest, licking his nose.

"Hey, quit that," he muttered groggily, nudging it off of him. He turned over and checked the little battery-powered clock lying on the floor. 6:03. He sat up and stretched. Yeah, it was a little earlier than what he was used to getting up at, but farmers were supposed to get up early. And besides, he was planning on going around town to introduce himself today.

He tumbled out of bed and dressed himself. When he opened the front door to head outside, the dog zoomed in front of him.

"Hey!" he shouted in alarm, fearing the dog was trying to escape, but it wriggled under the pasture fence and ran into the barn. A few moments later, Bessie plodded out of the barn, followed by the eager little puppy.

"...Huh," Jack said to himself. It was probably a farm dog before he'd got it, then. So, it could help him with his work. Handy.

Jack headed down to Vesta's farm after he finished watering his crops. He'd already met Celia and Vesta, but he remembered Vesta telling him about someone else who lived with them.

Today, Celia and Vesta were working the field out back. Vesta saw him first.

"Hey, kiddo!" she bellowed at him. He waved, and jogged over to the fence. Vesta lumbered over, and leaned on the fence as she spoke. "So, kid, how's the farm treatin' ya so far?"

Jack nodded. "Good, I suppose. Um, I got a new dog." Ugh. He sounded like a seven-year-old telling a relative about his summer holidays. Vesta didn't mind, though. She laughed.

"Dog, huh? Never been one for dogs, myself. Too noisy for my taste. Still, though, I bet it's a great lil' helper to ya. I bet it's nice and cute."

Was she patronizing him? He studied her beaming face. Nah, she didn't seem like the type.

"Hey, I never introduced ya to Marlin, did I?" asked Vesta, scratching her nose.

"Uh, no." Jack shook his head.

"Come on in. Let me introduce ya." She turned in Celia's direction. "Hey, Celia, this is Jack! I'm gonna go have him meet Marlin, 'kay? You keep plantin' them strawberries."

Celia straightened up. "Okay!" she shouted back. Then, she smiled and waved at Jack. "Hiya," she called. He gave a small wave back.

"Hey."

Vesta led him by the arm around the front, to the shop. She burst open the door and hollered, "Hey, Marlin! I brought someone to meetcha!"

A black-haired man with a pompadour stood behind the counter, looking uncomfortably surprised by their entrance. "Who-who is it?" he asked awkwardly.

"This here's Jack," Vesta said, pointing to him proudly as if she had conjured him up herself.

Marlin looked blank.

"The new farmer I was tellin' ya about?"

"Oh." Marlin offered a hand, which Jack shook. "It's nice to meet you."

"Same here. It's good to finally meet Celia's husband," Jack said cheerfully.

Marlin looked shocked and turned bright red, while Vesta roared with laughter. "H-h-husband?" he gasped. "Who told you that?!"

"Marlin and Celia ain't married, ya turnip!" Vesta hooted.

Jack turned as red as Marlin. "I- I'm so sorry! I just figured that seeing as you live together, you were..."

"Well, only in his dreams," Vesta said under her breath, nudging Jack.

"Shut up, Sis!" Marlin said furiously, blushing madly. "Don't you have any work to do?"

Vesta clapped an enormous hand on Jack's back. "Well, I guess so. I'd better not keep yer wife waitin'!" She laughed uproariously and bustled out the door. "Seeya later, kiddo," she called over her shoulder.

The two men were left in an uncomfortable silence. Great. Second day in town, and Jack had already said something stupid. He glanced over at Marlin, who was trying his best to maintain his dignity.

"Um, I'm so, so sorry about that. I shouldn't have made such a stupid assumption. Oh, Goddess, I shouldn't have said anything," he apologized.

Marlin sniffed and straightened his shirt. "Listen, it's okay. You didn't mean anything by it. And besides," he continued, fiddling with his shirt buttons, "it wasn't THAT stupid. Young woman and man, living together... I can see why you'd think so. But, eh... not Celia and me."

Jack almost asked about their relationship out of sheer curiosity, but thought better of it.

"Anyway," Marlin turned to him and grinned awkwardly. "How about you and I go drinking tonight? I dunno, get to know each other better. Or something."

Jack stiffened. He could only ever remember having had alcohol once in his life, at a cousin's wedding. It had turned out that he couldn't hold drink at all, and had thrown up all over the bride's dress when the photos were being taken. He shuddered involuntarily at the memory.

"What is it?" Marlin asked.

Jack looked at him. It was a genuine offer of friendship, that was obvious from his face. He'd feel terrible if he turned him down. Jack sighed inwardly.

"Nothing! Sure thing, sounds great!"

"Great." Marlin smiled. "So, I'll see you at the Blue Bar at around 8, then. It's pretty close to your farm, so you shouldn't get lost."

Jack grinned to himself as he set off across the bridge. A new friend already. Well, he couldn't really call Marlin his friend yet, seeing as they had only just met. But he seemed like a nice guy. Thinking of Marlin made his mind drift to Celia. He was still cringing about the blunder he had just made. Hopefully, Vesta wouldn't tell her about it.

As he was daydreaming, he noticed a little old lady lying on the grass by the side of the path. His breath caught in his throat. She wasn't moving.

He raced over to her and knelt by her side. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked, panicked. She didn't respond. He grabbed her wrist and felt for a pulse. She was still alive. He was about to call for help, when she stirred and mumbled.

"No, dear, five more minutes..."

"Are... are you alright?" Jack asked carefully. She opened her eyes and looked up at him.

"Oh. Hello, there," she smiled and said. "I was just out enjoying this lovely sunshine, and I... must have dozed off." She yawned. Jack carefully helped her to her feet. "My, aren't you a lovely boy! Could I ask your name, dear?"

"I-I'm Jack." He sighed in relief. "I thought you were dead..."

She laughed. "Dead? No, not me. I still have a few years left in me yet." She studied his face. "I beg your pardon, dear, but are you the new farmer in town?"

Jack nodded and grinned. "I'm taking the farm over from my father."

"Oh, Pete was a lovely man, and very hard-working. We were all very sorry to see him move away. And then, he..." She shook her head. "I'm so sorry for your loss, dear."

Jack was ready to go through the whole spiel, when the lady spotted someone behind him and waved.

"Oh, there's my husband. Ah, Galen, dear! Hello!" she called. Jack turned to see a grumpy-looking old man hobbling over to them. "Galen, this is Jack! He's Pete's son."

Galen turned his head so that he was looking at Jack out of only one eye. "Pete's son? Hello, then." He turned to the old lady. "Nina, dear, were you sleeping outside again?" She looked guilty. "Nina. You know that's bad for you. Come on, let's go home."

"Oh, but, Galen..." Nina said sadly, looking wistfully at the sky.

"No buts. It's still too early in the year. It's still too cold," Galen said gruffly. "Come home and I'll make you some nice soup."

Nina sighed. "Okay, dearest. It was lovely meeting you, Jack." She took Galen's hand, who nodded in Jack's general direction, and the two headed off home.


	4. Chapter 4- A Rock and a Hard Place

Jack watched the elderly couple head over to a house across from the well. He exhaled thoughtfully. What could he do now? As he was pondering, his nose caught the scent of some delicious cooking and his stomach rumbled. Jack realized just how hungry he was. He hadn't even eaten breakfast. Surely, there was some sort of restaurant in town that he could go and have some lunch in. He followed his nose a short ways off until he came to a two-storied wooden building. It looked pretty traditional, with its straw roof and banners hanging outside. He deduced that that was the restaurant.

He opened the door and peeked inside. There looked to be a reception room with a wooden desk, upon which a shiny golden bell rested. He wandered over to the desk. There was no one around, and the house seemed completely silent, aside from a frying noise from one of the back rooms and the distant sound of someone gently strumming on a shamisen. Maybe it wasn't the restaurant after all? But the smell of cooking definitely came from here.

Jack decided to ping the bell. It let out a resounding ding, and a voice could instantly be heard from the back room.

"Oh, I think that was the reception desk. Tim, watch the lunch, will you? I'll be back in just a moment." It was a woman's voice.

The shamisen playing stopped. A man's voice could be heard. "Yes, dear."

A small, round lady with dark eyes came out from the back room. She smiled genuinely when she saw Jack.

"Hello, and welcome to the Inner Inn! How can I help you?" she asked warmly.

Oh no. This was an inn. Do they even serve food in inns? Jack swallowed hard. What was he supposed to say? He could have easily found his own food. Now he was stuck in this awkward situation where he was just going to come across as rude. Why had he drawn attention to himself in the first place? Jack screamed inwardly. She was staring at him.

He pushed away his buzzing thoughts and fixed an awkward smile on his face. "Hello. I'm Jack," he told her.

Her face lit up in recognition. "Ah, Pete's son! Yes, yes, I've heard all about you from Mr. Takakura. It's absolutely lovely to meet you." She offered her hand for him to shake, which he accepted. "My name is Ruby. I'm the propertior of this establishment. In other words, I'm the owner." She laughed.

Jack laughed too. Ruby was very warm, and she didn't make him feel awkward in the least. She asked him a few questions about the farm, if he was enjoying life in the valley, the usual stuff. But suddenly, she looked alarmed and looked towards the back room. Jack realized that the shamisen playing had started up again.

"I'm so sorry. I just remembered I left the food to my husband. Tim!" she shouted.

The strumming instantly stopped. "Y-yes?" the man called back. Ruby sighed, exasperated.

"You'll have to excuse me while I rescue our lunch. Please, come into the kitchen and have some lunch with us," she called, hurrying to the back room. Jack was surprised. That was... incredibly nice. A little bit strange, actually, giving lunch to someone you just met. But he wasn't arguing. He followed her.

The man, Tim, looked guilty next to a box of tomatoes. He was trying and failing to conceal his shamisen, and sort of hovered, as if he couldn't decide whether he should sit or stand on the box. Jack introduced himself, then Ruby quickly ushered them both to their seats as she spooned out the meal.

She shouted towards the ceiling. "Rock! Nami! Lunch is ready!"

There was an instant thundering of footsteps down the stairs, and the door burst open. A tanned, blond-haired youth swaggered into the kitchen. He stopped when he saw Jack. "Mom, who's that?" he asked obnoxiously. Jack took an instant dislike to him.

Ruby shot him a 'be nice' look. "This is Jack, the new farmer in town. Jack, this is our son, Rock."

Rock flopped down at the table. "Farmer, huh? Man, you must be stupid." He grinned provocatively, challenging Jack.

"Rock!" hissed Tim.

"Excuse me?" asked Jack, raising an eyebrow.

"Stupid. For wanting to do all that work. You're gonna be tired, like, all the time. If it was me, I'd just let the old man take care of the farm."

"You mean Takakura?" Jack made a mental note not to come by the Inner Inn any more unless Rock was out. For some reason, though, he got the feeling that didn't happen a lot.

"Yeah. Whatever."

"So, then, what exactly do _you _do all day?" Jack challenged. "You know, seeing as you're too smart to work."

Rock looked a bit put out. "Why? Do you want to memorize my routine? Got a crush on me, or something?"

Ruby blushed furiously. "Rock, you stop that talk right now. Eat your noodles."

"No, no, it's fine, Ruby," Jack interrupted, staring Rock dead in the eyes. "What _do _you do, Rock?"

Rock glared across the table at him and didn't answer. Tim slurped his noodles meekly. Just then, the door opened and a girl with short red hair walked in. Everyone looked up.

"Sorry I'm late, Ruby," she said vaguely, and sat down.

"Nami!" said Ruby, grateful for an interruption in the conversation. "Where were you?"

The girl had begun to eat. She finished chewing her current mouthful, and then swallowed. "I was on a walk."

Ruby tried to keep the current conversation going. "And where did you go?"

Nami chewed and swallowed again. "The beach."

The conversation tailed off, and everyone chewed in silence for a few moments. Then Ruby spoke up again.

"Oh, yes! Nami, this is Jack. He's the new farmer in town," she told her eagerly.

"Nice to meet you," mumbled Jack.

"Hey," Nami replied.

He didn't know what else to say. The rest of the meal continued in an uncomfortable silence.

Jack was extremely grateful when the lunch had ended. He thanked Ruby and apologized to her quietly on the way out. Tim had gone back to strumming quietly on his shamisen, and Nami had headed out afterwards. Rock- well, Jack didn't care what Rock did. He tried to push any thoughts of the aggravating young man out of his mind as he wandered towards the beach.

He was within sight of the beach when some music stopped him in his tracks. It was someone strumming a string instrument, but Jack couldn't tell which one. He was never very musical. He could also hear a man's voice singing and humming along to the song. It was an incredibly mellow tune, and easy to listen to. Jack found himself wandering towards the source of the song.

He ended up close to the inn again, underneath a tree. A man sat on the ground under the blossoms, playing his instrument and singing. He wore a wide-brimmed green hat with a flower stuck in it, and a little pair of purple-tinted glasses. Jack sat a ways off and listened until the end of the song. When he had finished playing, the man looked up at Jack and smiled.

"Hey, man," he said in greeting. "Did you dig my tune?"

Jack nodded. "It was really good." Good? Wow. He had the descriptional skills of a ten-year-old.

The man smiled. "Cool." He looked up at the sunlight streaming through the tree branches. "It's a totally amazing day for music. Everything feels so harmonious." He got up and stretched. "I hope you understood the joyful feelings behind my tunes today." He looked meaningfully at Jack, and wandered away.

Jack looked after him in awe. "I-I'm Jack!" he called.

The man raised a hand as he was walking away. "They call me Gustafa."

Jack watched the man go, awe-struck. What a laid-back individual.


	5. Chapter 5 - Drinking Buddies

Jack had spent the rest of the day at the beach, watching the waves. He had completely lost track of the time until he noticed the glow of street lights in the distance. What time was it? He didn't have a watch, so he had no way of knowing. He decided to go and look for the bar that Marlin was telling him about. The Blue Bar, was it called? Probably. It had a nice ring to it.

Marlin had said it was just across the bridge from Vesta's farm. Jack walked up to the Inner Inn area. He recognized Nina and Galen's house, as well as two other houses, but neither of them looked like bars. That left the little building next to the well. He headed inside.

Yup. This was definitely the bar. There was a counter, and beer taps, and stools, and, well, stuff you'd sort of expect in a pub. Unless he'd wandered into a pub fanatic's house, this was probably it. There was an older guy with a ponytail behind the bar, and a blonde lady in a red dress. The lady smiled dazzlingly at him.

"Well! Who's this, now, honey?" She winked. "Welcome to the Blue Bar. Have yourself a seat, and we can get you something to drink. What are you in the mood for?" Jack blushed and sat down obediently. He was a little intimidated.

"U-um, nothing for the moment, thanks. I'm waiting for someone," he mumbled.

The older guy chuckled. "There ain't nothin' to be scared of, son. We won't bite."

The lady studied him thoughtfully for a moment. Then, she brightened. "Hey! Aren't you-"

"The new farmer. Yup. That's me," Jack interrupted her. Just how many people knew he was coming?

"Ah!" She clapped her hands together. "I knew it! You must be a fine man, running that place all by yourself. I bet you have girls falling down at your feet."

Jack blushed and stared at his knees. He didn't know how to reply. Thankfully, Marlin came in through the door just then, saving him from answering.

"Sorry I'm late," he yawned. "Long day today." He sat down next to Jack.

"Marlin, honey. The usual?" the lady asked, flashing a dazzling smile at him. Marlin nodded, and the older guy started rummaging around under the counter for bottles.

"So, uh-" Marlin began, but was interrupted by the lady.

"Hey. Sweetie. Hate to interrupt, but aren't you going to introduce me-" The guy looked up at her from under the counter and raised his eyebrows quizzically. She sighed. "Sorry. Aren't you going to introduce _us _to your friend here?"

"Oh. Uh, yeah. Jack, this is Muffy and Griffin. Muffy and Griffin, this is Jack," he mumbled by way of introduction. Muffy waggled her fingers at him and Griffin raised his hand over the counter to straightened up, holding a bottle of wine. He poured it into a glass and handed it to Marlin, who took a swig from it.

"Uh, so, anyway," Marlin said gruffly, setting the glass down on the counter. Jack nodded, expectant. Marlin suddenly looked a bit uncomfortable. He looked away. "Uh... Nice weather today, huh?"

Oh no. It looked like Marlin was just as terrible at making conversation as Jack was. The fate of this awkward conversation was in Jack's hands now. He had to save Marlin from feeling inadequate and boring. He closed his eyes and made a resolution. He could do this!

"...Sure is."

It felt like the bar got a little colder. Muffy watched the two of them, an eyebrow raised.

Marlin shifted in his stool. "...Good for crops."

"Yeah."

Muffy rolled her eyes. "Spare me," she sighed, heading into the back room. Griffin wiped the inside of a glass with a towel.

Marlin took another swig from his glass. He wiped his mouth, and laughed sheepishly. "Funny about today. About Celia and me, I mean."

Jack laughed too. "Yeah. I'm so sorry about that." He paused, thinking for a moment. "Celia's a really nice girl."

Marlin looked back at him, studying his face. "Yeah. Yeah, she is." He smiled. "I've known Celia for a long time, y'know. I guess you could say we're pretty close."

"I guessed," Jack laughed. "Vesta sort of hinted."

"Hey, don't pay any attention to my sister. She doesn't know what she's talking about most of the time," Marlin chuckled.

"You guys seem close, though! I mean, you live together. You have to get along to want to move in with your sister."

Marlin paused. He laughed. Well, he went through the motions of laughing. But Jack couldn't sense any happiness in his voice at all. He was about to ask what was wrong when Muffy came back into the bar. She carried a mug of hot milk, which she set down in front of Jack. He looked up at her questioningly.

"You don't really strike me as the drinking type, honey." He was about to protest, but she interrupted him. "Before you ask, I'm not patronizing you or anything. I'm not much of a fan of alcohol myself. Drink up." Jack shut up. He mumbled his thanks and gratefully sipped at the drink.

He was going to try to continue his conversation with Marlin, but when he looked over at him, he was staring pensively into his drink. It looked like he didn't want to talk. Jack focused on his own drink.

It seemed to be a quiet night out. At least, that was how it seemed, until he heard a loud voice in the distance. It got closer and closer, until the door banged open to reveal Rock. It was only for a brief moment, but Jack could have sworn he saw everyone in the bar roll their eyes.

"Oh, look! It's the farmer!" Rock laughed. He plonked himself down on a stool, and addressed Muffy. "The usual, babe."

Muffy's eyes narrowed. "Don't you _ever _call me babe," she said icily.

Rock scoffed. "Whatever, babe. It's just a compliment. You ever heard of one?"

"Hey," warned Jack, "she said not to call her that."

"Why do _you _care?" Rock half-grinned obnoxiously. "Got another crush?"

"Oh my Goddess, shut _up_, Rock," snarled Marlin.

"_Oh my Goddess, shut up, Rock_," Rock imitated him. "You're all a bunch of killjoys. Can't a guy even offer a girl a compliment any more?" He scoffed again, and added under his breath, "Not that she deserves it."

"Don't," said Griffin quietly, looking straight at Rock. Rock glared back, but shut up.

"Milk, please," he muttered. Everyone in the bar looked ready to punch him, except Griffin, who went on cleaning glasses.

Rock eventually left. Muffy seemed to have forgotten all about what the boy had said, but Jack was still furious. Who made that little brat think he had the right to go around and insult people like that? Maybe it was the result of some tragic event in his childhood. He didn't look anything like Ruby or Tim. Maybe they'd adopted him. It was a wonder they wanted him in the first place.

Jack realized what he was saying to himself. That was a terrible thing to think. It wasn't any of his business as to why Rock acted like the entitled little brat he was, and it certainly wasn't his business if he was adopted or not.

He shook himself out of his thoughts and looked over at Marlin. Oh, gods. He was completely drunk. He had his head in his hands, and his face was bright red.

"You ok, Marlin?" Jack asked.

"Huh?" Marlin looked at Jack, and waved his hand around unsteadily. "Yeah, yeah. M'good." His speech was slightly slurred.

"Ok, I reckon it's time we got you home." He got up, and pulled his friend's arm over his shoulder to support him. Marlin made some agreeable noises. At least, Jack hoped they were agreeable. He paid the tab, and said good night to Muffy and Griffin. Muffy winked at them on the way out.

"Steady on, buddy," Jack strained to say as they stumbled out into the street. He was such a weakling. He had hoped that taking over the farm would give him some muscle, but it didn't really seem to be working yet.

Marlin mumbled something. "Hm?" Jack asked.

"I said you're my best frien'," he slurred. "You're a real pal, y'know. No one else in this damn place gets me like you do, yeah?"

Jack blushed. That was nice to hear, even if it came from a man who couldn't stand straight without someone holding him up. "Thanks."

"I swear to Goddess, next time that damn Rock comes near me, I'm gonna shove a carrot up his-" Marlin made a swinging motion, the momentum of which caused them both to topple over and knock the wind out of himself in the process.

"Hey, watch out," laughed Jack, pulling Marlin to his feet.

"I'm gonna kill him," Marlin gasped. "That kid- he's been after Celia from day one. I c'n sense it in his eyes. And she's so inn'cent- and sweet- and trusting-"

"Hey, Marlin, calm down. You're gonna hurt yourself," Jack cautioned. They had almost reached the bridge.

"Jack." Marlin looked up at Jack desperately. Jack looked back, surprised. He seemed completely serious. "When... When I'm not around... Or, if anything happens to me," he took a shaky breath, "you gotta promise you're gonna look after Celia. Look after her, ok?"

Jack looked down at him uncertainly.

"Ok?" Marlin said a little louder. He looked completely desperate.

"I promise," Jack replied, bewildered.

Marlin relaxed a little. "It's a... S'a promise, then." He laughed shakily. "Thanks, buddy."

Jack took him home.

It was late when Jack got home. Past midnight, he reckoned. Bessie was already back inside, and the dog was sitting lonely outside his front door. When it saw him, its little tail became a blur and it bounded over to him, yapping happily and hopping up on him.

"Down, down," he muttered. He was exhausted. There was no way he would be able to wake up in the morning. Suddenly, the pup pricked up its ears and raced around the corner, barking. A piercing shriek followed. "Oh, no," Jack whispered to himself, panic rising. He sprinted after the dog.

He arrived around the corner of the pasture. The dog was barking and growling at Muffy, who was screaming. "No! NO! Bad dog!" he yelled, grabbing the pup by the collar and smacking it lightly on the nose. It whimpered and scampered off.

"I'm... I'm so sorry about that! Are you ok?" He examined Muffy. She seemed unhurt. She nodded, and her usual charming smile returned. She was about to reply, but something behind Jack caught her attention. He turned. Takakura was standing a ways off, watching the two of them with an indescribable expression on his face. Jack waved and was about to call out to him, but Takakura ignored him and trudged back to his cabin.

Ok? What was his problem? Muffy looked concerned.

"Oh. Was that my fault? Did I do something to make him mad?" she asked, worried.

Jack watched the old man open the door of his cabin and head inside without so much as a glance in their direction. Ok. If he was going to be like that, then Jack could be like that, too. He turned back to Muffy and fixed a reassuring smile on his face.

"Nah. Don't you mind him. He's grumpy all the time."

Muffy laughed. She seemed somewhat comforted.

"So, uh, anyway! What brings you by here?" he asked her.

"Oh!" she gasped. She smiled dazzlingly at him. "Well, I just wanted to thank you for... you know, sticking up for me this evening. You're a brave man, Jack."

Jack looked bashful. "Oh, that wasn't anything. I think it was Marlin who scared the kid the most! You should have seen him on the way home. He was so mad."

Muffy laughed again, and fluttered her eyelashes slowly. "But... you're the knight in shining armour who came to help me first. So thank you, Jack." She smiled up at him, fluttering her eyelashes lightly.

He grinned back cheerfully. "Hey, no problem! Any time. You be careful on your way home, ok?"

"Sweet dreams, Jack." Muffy waggled her fingers at him and left the farm.


End file.
